Review: Alala Shadow Dolman Hoodie, Beyond Yoga Shimmer Leggings, Splits 59 Olivia Matrix Top

With Black Friday deals already starting, I wanted to get up these reviews in case anyone is considering these. I bought these when Carbon 38 had a 20% off sale recently, and I'm happy with them all!

Beyond Yoga Shimmer Essential Long Leggings
Beyond Yoga just came out with leggings, a tank, and a bra in a shimmer fabric. I'm all about the glitter and shimmer, but I also realize that I'm older and probably shouldn't be wearing glitter leggings! I liked Beyond Yoga's shimmer pieces because they seem more sophisticated, plus I've had good luck with BY crops.

I ordered the leggings in size small, knowing that they might be on the small side. My other BY crops are the tightest fitting of all my leggings in size small. With tights, I always choose to go tighter than bigger because bigger sizes usually fall down on my waist. These leggings fit exactly like the crops--a bit tight on my hips and butt but still very comfortable. I was very pleasantly surprised with the fabric. The inside of the leggings has a very soft, brushed lining, which makes these leggings warm and cozy. The shimmer is very pretty and sophisticated. I think these would look really cute to wear on Christmas with a sweater and boots, and they'll go with just about everything. I was going to order the bra in the same fabric, but after a closer look I don't like the seaming on the front of the bra. BY has already started its Black Friday promotion. Get 30% off full-price items and an additional 15% off sale items now with code EXCLUSIVE (at least until the sale is released to the public on Friday).

Beyond Yoga Shimmer Essential Long Leggings with Splits 59 Matrix Tee

Close-up of the fabric

Splits 59 Olivia Matrix L/S Performance Run Tee
I've had my eye on this top ever since it first came out months ago. With the mesh accents, I thought it would be a great running top for spring and fall. I also really liked the style and the colors. I'm not usually a blue person, but this blue is a dusty grey blue that's really soft and pretty. The grey in the top actually has a bit of shimmer to it and looks really pretty.

I ordered this top in a size medium. It's loose fitting and has a pretty drape, with slight dolman sleeves. The fabric is a very soft, thin poly. I really love this top. It's different than any other top I have. I think it would also look great layered over a tank. One caveat is that the mesh in the front is right in the middle of the chest, so if you're wearing a bra that shows lots of cleavage, that will definitely show in this top. My only complaint about this top is that the stitching where the mesh and the fabric come together can show through the mesh on the front. If I push it out of sight, it seems to stay hidden, so this isn't a deal breaker for me. This top was already pretty reasonably priced, so I was pretty happy to get it at 20% off. Splits 59's sale is already going on. Get 30% off with code BF30 on select items, including this top.

Splits 59 Olivia Matrix Performance Run Tee, size medium

Alala Shadow Dolman Hoodie
Ever since I ordered my first Alala piece and fell in love with it--the Weekender Dress--I've been lusting after other Alala pieces. I really like Alala's cool, edgy vibe. I decided to order the Shadow Dolman Hoodie in black and really love it.

The fabric is the same soft, velvety fabric of the Weekender Dress. The weight is also the same--pretty thin. I like the weight because I'll be able to wear it in warmer temps as well as colder if I layer a warm tank or top under it.

I ordered it in size medium, and the fit is great. I'm small-waisted and big-hipped, so sometimes blousy dolman tops just make me look big and dumpy. That's definitely not the case with this top. The bottom is fitted on my hips but stretchy and not so tight that it screams "Here are my hips!" Between the loose fit and the dolman sleeves, it drapes really well. The sleeves on the forearms are snug, but not uncomfortably so.

Alala Shadow Dolman Hoodie, size medium

There are a few details I love. First, the ties of the hoodie have Alala's signature gold on them, which dresses this hoodie up. The cuffs on the arms are a wide mesh, which gives it an edgy look. I really love the wide mesh. However, the sleeves are so long that the mesh can get kind of pushed together so you can't really see it. If I don't want to use the thumbholes, I have to pull the sleeves up on my forearms to give the mesh room to stretch out. The same mesh is also in the inside of the hood that you can see in the back, but it's not very obvious and my hair covers it. There is also a pocket on the front.

I really love this hoodie and will probably wear it more as a casual piece. It looks great with jeans, too. But when I excitedly showed it to my husband, he was like, "Yeah, it's just a black hoodie." That made me wonder if the price tag was worth it. The original $125 price tag is pretty steep, and even though I got it for 20% off it was more than I'd have liked to pay. But as I was looking through the Athleta catalog, I saw that most of their hoodies are around $100, and I like Alala's version much more.